Temporary Protected Status for South Sudan Extended for 18 Months

Temporary Protected Status for South Sudan Extended for 18 Months

Release Date: Sept. 18, 2017

WASHINGTON—Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for eligible nationals of South Sudan (and eligible individuals without nationality who last habitually resided in South Sudan) through May 2, 2019. After consulting with the appropriate U.S. government agencies, and reviewing country conditions, acting Secretary Duke determined that an 18-month extension of South Sudan for TPS is necessary because the ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions that prompted the 2016 TPS redesignation have persisted.

Current beneficiaries of South Sudan’s TPS designation seeking to extend their TPS status must re-register. The deadline will be published in the Federal Register and on www.uscis.gov/tps later this week. Those who re-register and request a new employment authorization document (EAD) may receive an automatic extension of their expiring EAD for up to 180 days from the date their current EAD expires. If a beneficiary’s EAD request is approved, they will receive a new EAD with an expiration date of May 2, 2019. TPS beneficiaries are strongly encouraged to re-register and file their EAD applications as early as possible to avoid lapses in documentation of employment authorization.

Additional information about TPS for South Sudan, including guidance on eligibility, the application process and where to file is available online at uscis.gov/tps. Further details about this extension of TPS for South Sudan, including the application requirements and procedures, will appear in a Federal Register notice to be published soon.

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